Michael’s Castle Woes

Hoofer extraordinaire Michael Flatley has signed a seven-year contract in Las Vegas that will net him $250 million. Michael just opened his Lord of the Dance stage show at the Venetian Hotel there. Meanwhile Flatley has had to put his wedding plans on hold. He had hoped to wed fiancée Lisa Murphy at a lavish bash next year at his customized castle in Co. Cork. However, the Irish government agency Bord Pleanala, which grants planning permission for home construction, has infuriated Flatley to such an extent that he may sell the Cork mansion he purchased a few years back.

Michael has already pumped millions of dollars into restoring the Georgian mansion located near the River Blackwater. But Bord Pleanala still won’t grant him permission to erect new steps leading into the mansion, which is considered a landmark structure and therefore subject to strict building regulations.

“I had to get planning permission in Las Vegas to change the stage to accommodate my latest show, People would consider this to be the most difficult thing in a city like Las Vegas. It’s not nearly as hard as getting planning for Castlehyde.” Michael told the Irish Examiner.

As it stands now, Michael couldn’t possibly have his wedding there because, he says, “I’d have to put a ladder up to my front window to let people like Bill Clinton in.” ♦